Budding Genius

Vernal possibilities

May 02, 2026

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –         
   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;         
   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         
   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.  

Spring, by Gerard Manley Hopkins, from The Poetry Foundation

dew-covered white daffodil with a red-edged yellow cup — A dew-drenched poet’s daffodil, one of two that made an appearance this year.

list of birds, pictures, Latin names — The Merlin Bird ID app goes nuts as birds perform the twilight chorus.

Sitting in my favorite patio chair, I tap the laptop keys, sip water and enjoy nature’s spring concert. Beside me, the Merlin Bird ID app records the melodies that surround me. “Move over, boys. Did you know that female cardinals sing, too?” it asks. The call of the great blue heron is faint, but the app catches it.

multicolored pansies and violets — A host of happy violets and pansies burst out of their cage and threaten to overflow the pot.

As the sun begins its journey northwards, the garden wakes up in a hurry. It is a time of hope and promise. Pansies and violets spill out of pots near the front porch. They are caged in chicken wire to hold pesky cervines at bay. It’s been a while since I saw any deer around here, though. Bunnies, the other marauders, dance all around me, chasing each other around trees, leaping impossibly high and long as they frolic in the fading light. They forget themselves, come up close, then do a double-take and hop away, fluffy, white tails held aloft.

pale purple dwarf iris among green leaves — Dwarf crested iris start their brief vernal parade.

The dwarf crested iris are quite happy in their patio pots. The lush foliage is dotted with jolly, purple faces. The clumps that I transplanted into a flowerbed are coming up too, although they aren’t blooming yet.

a graceful red Columbine hangs below its leaves — The first native aquilegia to bloom. Pretty soon, there will be a riot of blossoms in several pots.

The graceful native aquilegia outdid itself last year. I hope for the same again this spring. Columbine plants abound in pots on the patio and in several flowerbeds. Fat buds sit on vigorous stems held high in the air. I hope to see a rebirth of all the colors I planted a couple of years ago. Time will tell.

pink and lavender creeping phlox — Garden pinks and creeping phlox in their first glory. The bunnies did not nest among them this year.

A stand of blue garden phlox persists by the downspout.

No little squeaks when I tend to the pinks and creeping phlox. This year, the rabbits found some other place to house their young. Over in the corner, the blue garden phlox show up faithfully every year.

gold and green flower — Slightly the worse for wear, a green-and-gold re-emerges.

Green-and-gold chrysogonum hangs on in the corner of a pot and in the flowerbed beside the dwarf crested iris. As long as I keep the campanula and lily-of-the-valley from encroaching on their space, I think I can continue to dream of a patch dotted with violet iris and golden chrysogonum in happy harmony.

a thick collection of fringed, green leaves — Protected by chicken wire, this cutleaf coneflower grows thick and vigorous.

As soon as I spotted the first green shoot of the cutleaf coneflower a few weeks ago, I wrapped chicken wire around it. This year, the plant is bushy and lush. Fingers crossed some critter doesn’t chew on the tender buds. Likewise, the pink evening primrose, which show up without fail around Memorial Day.

cat on a decorative table by a window — Obligatory cat picture. Tabby in her favorite morning haunt - a number of birds nest in the bush outside or flock to the feeders that hang on the linden tree.

Tabby spends her mornings studying avian mating rituals and drooling over the endless stream of ravenous goldfinches, house finches and sparrows at the feeders. I fill them up with birdseed almost every other day. Little chowhounds!

reflected selfie and a portion of a mural — My analog tote and I stop for a different kind of selfie before we make art. The Arts Council's new Spring Street mural.

pen and ink cat sketch — Can’t have a Tabby picture without a Luca image. This is a scribble from a calligraphy pen filled with burnt siena ink.

None the Wiser

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?